Small Town in the Internet Society: Chapleau Is No Longer an Island

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of new digital media on the residents of Chapleau, a remote rural town in Northern Ontario, Canada. As in urban situations, broadband e-mail in Chapleau facilitates communication with friends and relatives who live locally and far away. But unlike their use in urban situations, mobile phones are rarely used locally in Chapleau: They are for trips outside of town. Broadband use has aided health care, shopping, and information gathering. Indeed, it is the increased connectivity to the outside that stands out, making Chapleau much less of an “island.”